Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride by Daniel James Brown

42 reviews

furiouskitten's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional informative medium-paced

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I enjoyed it, even though the content itself is very rough, especially once you're about 40% of the way through the book. 

The book follows Sarah Graves, eldest daughter of the Graves family, who were Illinois farmers who ended up traveling with the Donner party even though they were not initially part of that group. Sarah ends up as part of the group that makes their way out of the mountains to try and get help. 

This seems to be a very well researched narrative of what happened, and certainly very detailed.

Maybe a little too detailed if you're squeamish.

Content warnings: it's about the Donner party, so if you're unfamiliar with that (like one of my Gen Z coworkers) do a quick Wikipedia read to educate yourself before you read this book. It definitely got a little graphic at times. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Cannibalism

Moderate: Body horror, Violence, Excrement, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

daelight's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder

kiki_the_witch's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

amris's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail

bandish's review against another edition

4.0

challenging sad tense slow-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Violence, Medical content, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Chronic illness

Minor: Mental illness, Blood, Grief, Colonisation, War

swamprat410's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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A fantastic historical non-fiction read. The research that went into this book and the way that the information is presented is fabulous. This is a historical non-fiction book that caused me to go into a reading slump -- not because this book was bad, but because I had a hard time finding other books that were as well written. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail

daishaspencer's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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This is one of the most gut wrenching and horrific stories I’ve read. I found myself moved to tears many times placing myself as a young woman in the shoes of Sarah and her companions. The author wrote beautifully of the scenery in which the party found themselves, I could clearly see places I’ve never been (though I had to reference google maps a handful of times). This story is not without bias from the author, but no narrative non-fiction truly can be. This book has left me with a lasting impression of a story which I knew little about before. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Classism

kmaemiller's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, Cannibalism, Colonisation

sare1125's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Cannibalism

Moderate: Racism, Murder

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, War

sarahbroccoli's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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Check TWs this was a harrowing book. Loved the empathy and thoughtfulness that the author employed when discussing the Donner party and the central theme of hope and perseverance.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail